In connectorizing flat cable having a plurality of laterally disposed conductors arranged in either a single parallel array or multiple parallel arrays, it is imperative that ends of conductors which are terminated in a connector be isolated from any detrimental tension forces. Such forces can lead to impaired cable conductor-connector contact connections or open-circuits. These forces may be imparted on a connectorized length of cable during the reeling or de-reeling thereof and in the installation in electrical equipment or in buildings. Thus, some form of strain relief must be employed in order to insure the integrity of established interconnections.
One technique for providing strain relief for flat cable is to thread an end portion through two or more openings or slots formed in an auxiliary plate projecting from a connector housing. The cable is threaded in a serpentine path through the slots so that, when the cable is pulled, edges of the slots bite into the cable and exert forces on the cable anchoring it therein preventing longitudinal movement thereof. This form of strain relief isolates electrical connections between ends of cable conductors and the connector from detrimental tension forces during normal handling of the connectorized cable. One form of this type of cable strain relief is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,234 which issued to J. N. Worman.
A disadvantage of the serpentine-path type of strain relief is that it is often difficult to thread an end portion of the cable through the slots due to the degree of stiffness and thickness of the cable. Additionally, it is difficult to determine initially how much of a terminated-end portion of the cable should be threaded through the slots so that the normally stripped ends of the conductors may be brought into an aligned relationship with the respective connector receptacles or contacts.